I will copy that answer for all to see:

You ask for the story behind it.

I'm sure you will have seen Stonehenge in the UK, and perhaps some of the other stone circles (like Avebury). Do you know much about the Irish mythology surrounding Trolls? In popular culture - think of those little singing trolls from the kids series of that name, but if you want something a little deeper then watch the Irish Anime "Song of the Sea" (2015).

Anyway, I'm working towards Druid culture of which trolls play a central part to the native, but now hidden culture of the Picts and Celts (the pre-Christian predecessors to the Britons/Irish). Think Asterix - the Druid comic superhero. Anyway, druidism was similar in some respects to the "native" aboriginal cultures in their connection to the land. Since coming to Asia I've found plenty of cultures that have kept their connection to the land to some degree, whereas others have departed from that towards what we think as "modern", technology driven society. Indeed, I have married into the mountain (Igorot) tribe in the Philippines which has a lasting connection with the land...and now a functional airport BAG...(we are flyertalk afterall).

Where I am, there is a tradition of paying respect to your elders by lifting their hand to your forehead (to transfer the knowledge from the elder's experience to the mind of the younger). There is a similar line of thought in having very ornate chairs, in that it will pass the knowledge of the age associated with the lifespan of the rather large and thus old tree that would have gone into scultuping that hand stool. The connection with the land is synonymous with the connection of our ancestors who returned to the land after life.

If this seems a bit far fetched and esoteric just consider the purpose of another very special chair - the throne. The throne is the seat upon which the divine power sits, whether that be the King in the UK, the Emperor in Japan, or a deity in religion. Even today we often associate the throne with power, and we talk about the centre of a government as the "seat" of power. The ideas behind thrones go back to biblical days. Then consider the mythology around trees being the overseers and record keepers of time. Then consider putting the two together - whereby the seat made of old wood would somehow bestow wisdom of ages upon the sitter.

If I link it back to myself, sculptures like this represent something that we are trying to remember, as a people. There is a long history that humanity has forgotten, yet seems at the very tips of our memory. We are aware something is there, but we just cannot articulate it. Let's just consider the Yonaguni pyramids in Japan as an example. You can see it, but how do you explain it? The clues that remain are in the long oral histories that we have (think of the Deluge - Noah), passed from generation to generation in the stories we tell each other, which are often visualised with sculptures and art, and the meanings we give them.

As for this hand, may its fingers caress your tired buttocks, re-energize you and hand you inspiration in your thoughts. I hope it's more comfortable than whatever you flew on. haha.

Happy (Orthodox) Christmas. I guess we can still get away with it being Christmas